Tea bags are known which contain a quantity of tea, some of which are initially packed in a protective cover. The protective cover is then removed from the tea bag with the cover being attached by a string to the tea bag, whereby the tea bag may be easily withdrawn from a cup, teapot or the like. Alternatively, other bags have a string and tag attached, while others are simply bags with no cover or string attached.
Swiss Pat. No. 563,756 describes a tea bag which is protected by two cover leaves whereby an edge of the flat tea bag is connected to one edge of one cover leaf, and that the two cover leaves for the protective housing at the opposite edge are connected with one another. In this patent the tea bag in one embodiment is connected from the joint of the two cover leaves with the cover leaves extending across over the opposite edges of the cup to support the tea bag in the centre of the cup. This then obstructs the opening to the cup and creates difficulties in pouring the boiling water into the cup.
In the second embodiment, the tea bag is attached to one free end of one of the cover leaves. However, when such a unit is used, it is difficult if not impossible to use the cover leaves to be repositioned against the tea bag for grasping the bag to squeeze the bag to obtain the last free liquid in the bag before disposal.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,118 dicloses an infusion bag having a porous-walled container and a strip of nonporous sheet material secured thereto and folded about the container along a line spaced from the top edge of the container to define a portion projecting therefrom as a handle. The container is joined to the folded over portion of the strip by a staple passing through both sides of the folded over strip and the top edge of the container. Both sides are folded back and are joined together by engaging means.
The bag is not supported in the cup and in fact if the bag is too flexible, the strips themselves will be in contact with the water also no provision is made for removing the excess liquid to prevent drips during disposal.
West German Pat. No. 2,264,566 shows a similar unit to U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,118, but with the added feature that means are provided in one embodiment to support the infusion container by a flexible portion to hook over the spout of a teapot.
In another embodiment the bag is supported over the edge of the cup, with one leaf outside and the other turned upwardly. As the bag is attached by a staple passing through both leaves, the bag does not seat firmly on the cup or pitcher rim due to the rigid nature of the stapled portion of the leaves, also there is no cantilever support and the bag tends to fall into the cup or pitcher.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,192,605 describes an infusion package with a sheet of semi-stiff non-porous material crimped to the package in side by side relation to form a handle which is hooked to a container.
The sheet is hinged at both sides and both leaves are folded back to be parallel to form a handle, both leaves being bent back to form book, the lower portion of the handle being inserted into the water in the cup. It is difficult than to fold both leaves back to cover the bag to squeeze the last drops from the bag. In one alternative, the cover may be on one side only of the bag and also a narrow strip may be used, or can be provided to hook onto the cup rim.